Page 83 of Same One
“Ha.” Tabian’s laugh echoed through the clearing. He approached Zane slowly, and God, the air felt heavy with Tabian’s fury. “You want money to leave Bay alone? What a disappointing piece of shit you are. He’s a kid. He’ll never forget you tried to trade him for money.”
“You’ve brainwashed my boy—”
“That’smyboy. You didn’t take care of him. I do!”
“Plus you signed away your parenting rights to Tru,” Bay pointed out.
“And I can un-sign them. You don’t think I will yank you right back into court, boy?”
“And spend all that money on lawyers knowing you will lose? No. I don’t think you will do that.”
“Boy, you think you’re grown now—”
“I’m grown enough!” Bay yelled, and the rage in his voice echoed through the clearing. He glanced back at Tabian. “I want the fight.”
Tabian nodded immediately, like he’d expected Bay to say that. “Tru, go inside,” Tabian said over his shoulder.
“You don’t want to fight me boy. Once you do that, you can never undo the damage. I will hurt you,” Zane said. He jammed a finger at Tru, who was backing away at Tabian’s request. “You stay right where you are. I’m not here to fight.”
Tru had gotten used to the way werewolves policed themselves though. She wasn’t one to stop men from setting boundaries here. “This isn’t your territory, Zane. You don’t make the rules here.” She nodded at her boys and started making her way toward the house. Bridger had appeared and was standing by Bay’s truck, leaning on it like he’d been here all along. He tipped his head in a greeting as she walked by.
“I want to show you something Bay has built,” Tabian said, his voice loud and clear.
“Uh, his truck. H-happy birthday. It’s today, right? I was thinking about buying you a truck too—”
“My birthday was last week,” Bay snapped. “He’s talking about my wolf. That’s what I’ve built. Change or leave.”
Tru hesitated in the yard. Wait, what? She’d thought Bay had been talking about a fist fight, but he was removing his shirt.
Her momma instincts wrenched up. He was only seventeen, and she’d heard about Zane’s wolf. He was big and brutal and could hurt Bay.
She stepped forward, but Tabian jerked his attention to her and shook his head. She could see it in his eyes.Let him. This is his fight.
Her emotions grew overwhelming. The others were coming. She could see Liam and some of the Pack jogging across the clearing toward Bay.
They wore somber expressions, but not worried ones.
This was the hard part—letting the werewolves be werewolves and not clinging too tightly to Bay.
“Change or leave!” Bay barked out.
“It’s really like that, boy?” Zane growled.
“It’s really like that,” Bay assured him. The steady confidence in his voice lifted chills up her spine.
She’d never heard his voice sound so terrifying. He wasn’t the little undersized seventh grader giving her dandelion flowers anymore. He really was grown enough.
Nory reached her and pulled her by the hand toward the porch. Delta and Destiny were speeding this way on four-wheelers, and Bridger had inched toward the front of the truck, closer to the fight.
Zane jammed a finger at Bridger. “I know you.”
Bridger didn’t answer. He just offered Zane un unsettling smile.
Zane was backing toward his car. “You know what, fuck you, Bay. You ungrateful pup. Now I remember why I didn’t want you. You were a disappointment from the day you were born. Shameful having a son like you. You’re weak.”
“Change right now, or leave right now,” Tabian said, advancing on him with Bay.
“Fuck this. It’s not worth my time,” Zane said, and yanked his car door open.
